Union undergarment.



' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN lENNINGTON, OF CAMDEN, NEW YORK.

UNION UNDERGARMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 723,913, dated March 31, 1903. Application filed September 25, 1902 SerialNq 124,832- (No model.)

To wZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN PENNINGTON, a: citizen of the United States, residing at-Oamden, in the county of Oneida and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Union Undergarments, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to an improved union suit or combination-undergarment; and I do declare that the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description thereof sufficient to enable one skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which like letters refer to like parts throughout.

My invention discloses a union suit formed of continuous knitted fabric from the neck to the ankle parts and provided with suitable openingsfone of them being at the rear and approximately from the hip portion or waistline to the crotchportion for the wearer to get into the suit and having provided therewith suitable flaps or attached pieces for completely closing the opening when the garment has been put on.

Union suits have been made of one uncut fabric and then slitted 'or'cut, so that the wearer might'put them on; but the diificulty has been to provide that opening in a suitable place and of sufiicient size and'to surround it with suitable and sufficient protection for the wearer, so that the body would remain covered in all its movements and the natural elasticity of the garment and its material be retained, so that the body would not be at all hampered or bound, but at the same time would be fully protected. In seeking toaccomplish these essential results flaps of various sizes, fashion, and location have been used without perfectly answering the purpose. With these diffieulties and objects in view I have produced a garment shown and described.

Figure 1" is a front view of the garment. Fig. 2 is a rear view, the flaps being closed. Fig. 3 is alike view with the flaps open, and Figs. 4 and @{arevie-Ws of the front and rear flaps of one pair, and Figs. 5 and 5 those of the other pair.

Referring to the figures more in detail, A

represents the garment, which is knit in one piece. To make the rear opening, I begin at a point a, located approximately on the waistline and above the hip, where I cut the knit fabric of the garment downwardly, trans-' versely, and upwardly along the line a a to the point at, leaving the flap B dependingin the back of the original fabric and integral therewith and of sufficieut size to form ample covering.

From a point on the front middle line of the garment between the crotch and the waist a cut is made in the garment extending along the medial line to the line 01a, but which is not particularly shown in the drawings, being readily understood. The inner' seam of each leg is cut down or left open for a short distance to receive'parts g and the like part of H. s

For the purpose of closing the opening after the garment is put -on I provide flaps which are attached in the rear and other flaps complementary thereto and attached in front. The outline of the rear flap is substantially as shown by C. It has an edge (1 d of an outline to correspond with the vertical and horizontal parts of line a a, an upper securing edge e e, an overlap edge ff, and a seampiece 9.

The piece C is attached to the garment along the edge from which the flap B was cut, the vertical and transverse edges of each being joined. The edge 9'' of the seam-piece g is sewed in the rear edge of the leg-seam opening from g to g.

H-illustrates one of the front flaps opposite to the flap C. It has an edge 72 h, substantially straight, from one end of which the edge h retreats at an angle. It also has an overlap edge or portion j, which, like the edge ff of the back flap, is given the desired extent. The other end of the piece is adapted for binding or sewing onto the front of the garment,the upper ends of the two front flaps being overlapped at their upper end, so as to secure the full benefit of the overlap parts. This piece H is attached to the front of the garment, the angular end beingattached tothe lower end of the front edge formed by the medial cut and the seam-opening and following up the edge 7112 until the other end of the flap is sewed to the body of the garment. The edge It is sewed to the edge g of the corresponding rear flap O. The seam-pieces of the flaps O and H when thus united and sewed into the seam-opening and the medial cut provide the desired fullness in that part of the garment. The main parts of the rear flaps are brought over the flap B, folding over one another and completely close the opening. The overlapping parts of the front and rear fiaps render it impossible that the body should be uncovered in any of its movements, yet the pieces are not so full or doubled as to inconvenience the wearer.

On the flap B, I provide buttons 1) b and corresponding buttonholes in the flaps C, whereby the garment may be readily fastened and the buttons and holes placed as the wearer may desire.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A union garment formed with a rear opening approximating the outline of the seat of the garment, the flap formed by said outremaining integral with the garment, and with a front opening, and with openings in the leg-seams, and flaps to cover the front opening and rear opening, said flaps having extensions secured to the leg-seam edges, the extensions of the respective back and front flaps being secured to each other, as and for the purposes stated.

2. A union garment formed with a rear opening by cutting on the outline of the seat, the'flap formed by said out remaining integral with the garment and coextensive with the opening, and overlapping flaps secured to the garment to cover the opening, each of said flaps having an extension secured in the leg-seam of the garment.

3. A union garment formed with a rear opening approximating the outline of the seat, overlapping flaps secured to opposite sides of the outline edge of the opening, extensions depending from said flaps secured in opposite leg-seams adjacent the crotch of the garment,and suitable fastening devices to secure the flaps in overlapped position to the garment.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature inpresence of two witnesses.

JOHN PENNINGTON.

Vt itnesses:

DAVID L. MANN, WILLIAM SHANLEY. 

